A Great Day
by Srellet
Summary: Luke asks Han a favor, and things don't go has he hoped.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Han Solo stretched his arms above his head, arched his back, and released the largest yawn possible. A crisp breeze swept through the hangar, ruffling his unkempt hair and caressing his cheeks. He smiled to himself. Today was going to be a beautiful day. The rebels were lying low after their last skirmish with the Empire so things were slower than normal. That meant he would have most of the day to tinker with the Millennium Falcon and break for rebel-supplied meals, of course. Yes, it was going to be a beautiful day indeed.

"Han! I'm glad I found you!"

Solo turned around and eyed Luke warily, "Hiya, kid. What's up?"

Luke Skywalker stopped to catch his breath. "I have a favor to ask you."

"A favor? What kind of favor?" Han dropped his hands to his hips.

"I need someone to cover my patrol duty."

"I don't know…" he looked back at the Falcon, "I have…"

"If I can get someone else to cover my shift, I can train in the simulators with the rest of the Rogue Squadron," Luke's large blue eyes pleaded his case.

"As I was saying—"

"Please, I really need more training."

Han sighed, "Isn't there someone else?"

Luke shook his head, "No. I've already asked everyone I could think of. You were last on my list."

"I dunno…"

"Please. I could really use this training time. You know how hard it is to get time in the simulator."

Han pursed his lips. That was true, and the more training Luke had, the better Han would feel about the former farm boy out there battling Academy-trained TIE fighter pilots.

He thrust out his forefinger, "But you owe me."

Luke's grin couldn't be any wider, "Of course! You're a real pal!" He turned to leave then stopped, "Oh! It starts in ten minutes." The he dashed off before Han could change his mind.

"Just great," Han grumbled.

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Han Solo glanced around for the officer in charge of assignments. His hazel eyes caught on irritated face of Princess Leia. Did she only wear that expression when she saw him, or was that sour face her every day look? Definitely the former, he decided. He never saw her with that look when she was interacting with Luke. Or anyone else, at that. He gave her an abbreviated nod then walked over to the man holding a data pad.

"What are you doing here?" Leia planted her hands on her hips.

Han lowered his brow, "I can ask you the same thing, Your High and Mightiness. Checkin' up on us commoners?"

Her large brown eyes widened and retracted. Just as she was about to retort, the officer answered Han's question, "She's on patrol duty with Commander Skywalker."

Leia raised her right eyebrow and lifted her chin.

"This day can't get any better," Han mumbled under his breath.

"What brings you here, Captain Solo?"

"Luke asked me to fill in for him."

"What?"

"I-am-doing-a-favor-for-Luke," he stated. He turned to the officer. "This doesn't mean I have to partner with her, right?"

"I'm afraid it does, Captain," the officer took a step back away from both Han and the princess. "The rest of the teams have already left. We were just waiting for Luke, well, you I suppose."

"Surely there is something you can do?" Leia asked eagerly.

"There isn't."

"Just great," Han gritted his teeth. "Luke owes me big time."

Leia rolled her eyes, "Of course, you wouldn't be doing this out of the kindness of your heart."

"You're always telling me I have no heart," he grabbed the surveillance equipment and walked toward the speeder bike. "Let's just get this over with."

The princess grabbed her equipment, cursed under her breath, and stormed pass Han. She mounted the bike and began fiddling with its controls.

"Whadya think you're doin'?"

"We've got an assignment to complete," she started the motor. "Get on."

"Uh-uh," Han planted his fists on his hips. "I'm driving."

Leia looked down at herself on the bike then at Han, "Doesn't look like it."

"You want me to come over there an' pull you off that bike?"

"You wouldn't dare," she glared at him, hands tightening around the handles.

"Uh," the officer cleared his throat. "Patrolling is going to take most the day. General Dodonna will have my hide if patrol's not completed by night fall."

"Most of the day?"

"There's a lot of territory to cover."

Solo narrowed his eyes on the officer and he took a step back. "You two need to work it out fast." With that, he turned on his heel and briskly walked away.

"So what are you waiting for?" Leia tilted her head. "Let's just get this over with."

Han muttered something under his breath as he climbed onto the bike behind Leia. He wrapped his arms around her, "Humph. Maybe this isn't so bad…."

"You just watch where those hands are, flyboy," Leia growled then slammed her foot on the gas pedal.

The bike lurched forward and continued to accelerate. "Yeah, a great day," he muttered into the wind.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Han Solo tightened his grip on the princess as the speeder bike nose-dived and leveled out, clearing a low hanging branch. The bike swerved and tilted beneath them as it continued to gain speed. Leia guided the speeder between the spindly trees and fallen logs with the agility of a seasoned pod racer. She shifted gears and accelerated to speeds that were quite dangerous in this unpredictable terrain. Han gritted his teeth and held on to her small waist hoping the ride would come to an end soon. He loved speed and excitement, probably more than most, but he preferred being the one in control.

The speeder bike jerked to a sudden stop and Han jumped off, "What was that?"

Leia killed the engine and gracefully dismounted. "What? Did I scare you?" she smirked. "I'll slow down on the ride back."

"Uh-uh!" Han shook his head, "_I'm_ doing the drivin' on the way back."

She raised a brow, "I don't think so."

"That was a dangerous stunt you just pulled!" His anger rose. "You coulda got us killed!"

Leia rolled her eyes, "Oh, please. Don't be so dramatic."

"On wrong turn—"

"We were in absolutely no danger, flyboy," she huffed. "I've been riding speeder bikes solo when I was five years old."

"What crazy adult would let a five year old do that?"

"No one I know," she fiddled with her binoculars. "I never said I had permission."

Han placed his hands on his hips and chewed on his bottom lip as he stared at the princess. So she didn't always follow the rules. Who would have thought?

"Have you been on patrol before?"

"Huh? Uh, no."

"Okay," she said then pointed to the woods in front of them. "The sensors farthest from the base are right there."

Han followed her finger but couldn't pick out the sensors from the terrain.

"The south and east sides of the base are mainly rock so they're pretty secure, but these woodlands have been more difficult to secure. Nothing threatening has triggered the sensors but we suspect there are others out here hiding or something. Smugglers maybe. We've only found traces of campgrounds about twenty or so kilometers from here."

"This would be an ideal place for smugglers to hide out."

"Right," held her binoculars to her eyes.

Han raised his to his eyes as well and surveyed the woods, "All that foliage makes it difficult to see much."

"Yes," she conceded. "That's been the problem. Come on, flyboy. We continue on foot from here."

"Whadya mean, Your Worship?"

"The bike is too noisy."

"But we don't know what's out there."

"And that's why we're going to look."

Leia started out toward the unknown, but Han grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop.

"I thought we were just patrolin'," he frowned at her.

"We are," she shook her arm loose. "I just want to patrol out there. There was an abandoned campground last time Luke and I were out here, and I just want to make sure no one has come back."

"We don't know who's out there."

The princess tilted her head to the left and slowed her words, "That-is-why-we-need-to-check-it-out."

"That's what we have binoculars for."

"Yes," she sighed, "but the range is limited." She rolled her eyes when Han crossed his arms over his chest. "We're just going out a bit further so that the campground is _in_ the range of the binoculars."

With that, the princess trudged further into the woods.

Han took several long strides to catch up with her, "Tell me, is this what they sent us out to do?"

"Not exactly," she admitted. "But Luke and I saw some smoke above the tree line the last time we patrolled this area. We decided to check it out—"

"What if someone was there?"

"From a safe distance," Leia glared at him. "The last thing we want is to get discovered ourselves."

"From a safe distance, of course," Han glared back. "Tell me, how far out is this 'safe distance'?"

Leia's large brown eyes narrowed before she continued on, "Not far out. About half a kilometer."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Han mumbled as he followed her deeper into the woods.

They walked along in silence for a while, each enveloped in their own thoughts: _how did I end up in this situation?_

The princess stopped, laying a hand on Han's arm before squatting among the bushes. She lifted the binoculars to her eyes, and Han crouched down next to her, pulling out his own binoculars.

"That's not good," he muttered.

"No," Leia concurred. "Looks closer than the last time Luke and I were out here."

They watched the tendrils of white smoke rise from the charred remains of a campfire.

"Looks like whoever made that fire didn't abandon it that long ago."

"Yea," she rolled her lips between her teeth. "Do you think they're still around?"

"I dunno," Han scanned the area with his binoculars. "I don't see any other signs-wait. To your right. What is that?"

Leia pointed her binoculars in the direction Han indicated, "I can't tell. The brush is too heavy."

"Looks like some gear of some sort."

"I don't think so."

"Well, what do you think it is?"

She paused and squinted into the lenses, "Looks like refuge. Whoever was here wasn't very environmental conscious."

"No," Han disagreed. "That's definitely someone's camping gear."

"I don't see anyone around."

"Hard to see this far away," he dropped his binoculars from his eyes.

"You're right," Leia started to stand up. "We've got to get closer."

"What?" Han grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. "I don't think so."

The princess' brow lowered, "We were sent out here to check things out, and that's what we're going to do."

"No," Han continued to hold her hand. "We were sent out here to patrol the perimeters of the base."

"And that's what we're going to do," Leia pulled her hand out of Han's and stood up.

"Uhn-uh," he stood up as well. "We're well beyond the perimeter of the base. Whoever's out there is at a safe enough distance. They won't be botherin' us."

She planted her hands upon her hips, "And you know that for sure."

Han shrugged, "If they're smugglers, they don't want to be discovered any more than we do. We'll just be askin' for trouble."

"And what if they happen to wander into our territory? Then what?"

Han sighed, "That's why we have sensors in place. Let's just do our job an' go back an' report our findings."

"Well, someone's going to have to check this out."

"It doesn't have to be us."

"We're already here."

"Look," Han pointed a finger at her chest, "all I agreed to was to patrol the perimeter of the base. We did that. Let's go."

"If Luke were here," Leia shoved his finger to the side, "he'd go out there to check things out."

"I ain't Luke, and I ain't gonna risk my life doin' something stupid."

"Pretty much all you do is stupid," her voice rose. "You almost got yourself killed on Olia with that stupid stunt you pulled."

"Hey, I saved Luke's ass back there! If it wasn't for my heroics—"

"Heroics!" Leia huffed. "I'd call it unnecessary risk-taking. Luke could've handled those storm troopers without your interference. You only complicated the situation!"

Han's mouth dropped open, "I _complicated_ the situation?"

"Yes," she folded her arms across her chest. "If it wasn't your so-called heroics—"

"If you hadn't been there in the first place—"

"It was _my_ mission!"

"And if the High Command had any sense at all—"

"Look, if you were capable of following the simplest order—"

"I'm not takin' orders from a wet-behind-the-ears princess—"

"You had no business being there, if that were the case!"

"If I wasn't there-"

"If you weren't there, the mission would have been successful—"

"It was successful because of me!"

"Oh, no! If you hadn't caused that ruckus, we would have been in and out of there without anyone knowing."

"I highly doubt that!" Han crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back. "You an' Luke find trouble wherever you go!"

"Then why did you volunteer for that mission?"

"To make sure you two got back unscratched."

"Well, you weren't very successful, were you?" Leia dropped her hands and turned away.

"That wasn't my fault," he mumbled but wondered if it was. He looked up, "Hey, where you goin'?"

"To check things out, make sure they aren't Imperial scouts," she maneuvered between the trees.

"Leia!" Han put a hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off.

"You can go wait with the speeder if you so please," she arched her brow and gave him a hard look before turning away and pressing on.

Han gritted his teeth and kicked the nearest tree trunk. "This isn't a good idea," he muttered under his breath but he followed her deeper into the woods.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Han Solo and Princess Leia stopped several meters away from the dying campfire and watched the area through their binoculars.

"I don't see anyone," Leia whispered.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean there's no one around."

"Looks abandoned."

Han removed the binoculars from his eyes, "It does. But the fire looks like it was just put out."

"No it doesn't. Shall we wait a bit?"

"We can go back and report what we found now."

Leia looked at Han, "What did we find? An abandoned campfire? Whoever was here could be long gone by now, but we've got to make sure it _is_ abandoned. If there's someone this close to the base…"

"We're pretty far out from the sensors."

"If someone discovers the base—"

"The sensors will go off before anyone gets close enough."

"That may be too late."

"That's what the sensors are for."

"Maybe if we got a little closer…"

"We're close enough."

"I'm going to get a little closer," Leia began to crawl forward.

Han grabbed her foot, "If there's someone out there, it's probably not a good idea."

She looked back over her shoulder, "You better let me go."

"Or what?" Han raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Oh! You have a one track mind," she narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to get a closer look. You can stay here if you want, so you better let go."

Han studied her determined brown eyes for a moment. If he didn't give in, how long would they argue about it? He let go of her foot, "Fine. But not too close."

The princess flashed him a closed-mouth smile then made her way through the low brush with Han following close behind. They stopped when they got close enough to see without their binoculars.

"Looks abandoned to me," Leia observed.

Han pressed his lips together, "Yeah. Firer's not even smoldering anymore. Looks like someone packed up in a hurry." He sighed, "You happy now?"

"Yes. We can head back now," she stood up.

Han followed suit.

"Head back where?"

Han and Leia spun around to find a broad-shouldered man pointing a blaster at them. Han's hand went to his own blaster.

"I wouldn't do that. Throw your blaster toward me," the man grinned. "So you're heading back where?"

"Ah…to our ship," Han's face hardened as he tossed his blaster. "We had engine trouble."

"We're looking for the nearest city so we can get the parts we need to fix it," Leia offered.

"Huh," the man's dark eyes ran up and down the princess' body. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," Han shifted his weight. "Do you have any idea where we're at?"

"We have a coincidence on our hands," the man kept his eyes on Leia. "I happen to have crash landed here."

"Then where's your ship?" Han challenged.

"Not too far out east from here. Where's your ship?"

"Uh, so you're lookin' for a city, too."

"Not anymore," the man grinned.

Leia's eyes shifted to Han who kept his attention on the man. "Our ship's pretty small. We wouldn't have room."

"That's not very neighborly of you."

"We're not neighbors," Han said through gritted teeth.

"But it looks like we're both in a position to help each other out," the man licked his lips. "What's wrong with your ship?"

Han mumbled the first thing that came to mind: the hyper drive.

"Hhmmm, just so happens that my hyper drive didn't get too damaged. Okay, we're gonna take the parts from my ship and fix yours."

"Now, that's very neighborly of you," Han thought fast, "but our ship only carries two people."

"Then one of us is gonna be stuck here," the man smacked his lips together, "and it's not gonna be me."

"Now, that's not very neighborly," Han grumbled.

"You," the man waggled his eyebrows at Leia and pointed his blaster at Han. "Get your pretty little self over here."

Leia balled her hands into fists and walked over to the man. The man grabbed her arm, "What a sweet thing you are."

"Oh, I'm far from sweet," Leia narrowed her eyes on him.

"If you care anything about your friend there," the man threatened, "you're going to be as sweet as you can to me."

"You know," Han took a step forward but stopped when the man pointed his blaster at Leia's head, "you an' I can go get those parts and fix my ship. We can leave her here. I can come back for her once I take you where you want to go."

"Oh, we couldn't do that. Who knows what vicious creatures live out in these woods?" The man motioned Han with his blaster, "Why don't you lead the way?"

"I don't know where your ship is."

"Don't worry. I'll tell you where to go." The man's voice lowered in pitch. "Let's get going. There's not much daylight left and I don't wanna spend another night on this planet."

The princess' mind raced as they headed out. What was going to happen when the man discovers they have no ship? She couldn't let him lead them off to anywhere. She dropped to the ground, pulling him of balance, and then slammed her elbow into the man's chest with all her might before going for his blaster. The man grunted in pain, and before he knew it, Leia was struggling to catch hold of his blaster.

Han swiveled around and sprinted toward Leia and the man. He dunked down as laser bolts zoomed pass him. Leia managed to take control of the blaster but lost her purchase on it. The blaster tumbled out of reach when the man rolled on top of her and grabbed hold of her throat. Han rushed the man, grabbed him by the shoulders, and pulled him off of Leia. He pounded his fists into the man's face before the man was able to get in a few punches himself.

The princess started toward the discarded blaster, but a chill ran up her spine. She saw the man's hand go into his pocket.

"Han!" Leia jumped up and shoved Han as hard as she could. She knocked him away from the man and near the blaster.

Solo grabbed the blaster and fired at the man before the man knew what happened. He fell to the ground dead. Han holstered the blaster and stood there for a moment to catch his breath.

"I had the upper hand, you know," he panted. "You didn't need to do that."

"Yes, I did," Leia breathed. "He had a knife."

That was the first time he noticed the knife in the man's hand. The tip of the silver blade was covered with blood.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Han Solo looked at the knife then down at himself. The he turned his attention to Leia.

She glared down at herself, "Damn."

Han knelt down beside her, "Lemme see."

The princess lifted her hand from the oozing wound, "It's just a nick."

"Lemme get a better look," he gently laid her on the ground and lifted her shirt. "I'll try not to get excited," he lamely joked.

She rolled her eyes, "Always a one-tracked mind."

Han fell silent as he examined the cut on her side. It was a slash about an inch and a half long, but it didn't look like the knife cut deep enough to nick any organs. There was just a lot of blood. Leia lifted her head and shoulders off the ground to get a better look at her wound.

"Doesn't look that bad," she observed.

"Doesn't look that good either," he countered. He grabbed his knapsack and pulled out the first aid kit. "Lie back down and lemme take care of it."

Leia complied without an argument.

"It should be stitched up," Han observed as he searched through the kit.

"Just use bacta gel."

"It won't be good enough. Sorry," he pulled out the emergency suture kit. "This will numb you up, but not as good as if you were at a medical center.

The princess glanced at the syringe and closed her eyes. She winced as the needle pricked her skin.

Solo frowned, "Okay, I'm gonna get started. Five stitches should do it."

Leia opened her eyes and watched him work, ignoring the pinch and pulling at her skin. "You're good at this."

"I've had a lot of practice."

She couldn't help but be impressed by his agile fingers, "Had to stitch Chewie up after bar brawls?"

"Mostly myself," he grinned. "Chewie is a baby when it comes to blood."

Leia smiled back, "Chewie afraid of blood?"

"Yeah, you'd think a big Wookie like him wouldn't be afraid on nothin'. Okay, almost finished."

Han snipped the last stitch and then sprayed the wound with bacta gel. He pressed a thick square of gauze over the stitches and carefully sat her up, leaning her shoulders against his chest as he wrapped her waist with a compression bandage.

"Be careful moving around," he stated. "You could rip the stitches out." He pulled her shirt back into place.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Still leaning against him, she turned her attention to the dead man, "What are we going to do about him?"

"What do ya' mean?"

"We can't just leave him there. Someone might find him. It's not like he died of natural causes."

"Who's gonna find him?"

"We found him," she tipped her head back to look into his face. "Okay, he found us. But if he's discovered, that could put the base in jeopardy."

"You're wounded. We gotta get you back to the base, Your Worship," Han frowned.

"We can't take a chance that someone will find him," she argued. "We'll have to bury him."

"It's almost dark and you can get an infection." Han unconsciously swept a stray strand of hair out of her face.

Leia's large brown eyes closed for the briefest second before she looked away, "You did a good job stitching me up. I'll be fine. Han, really, we can't take any chances."

"I'm not gonna risk your life!"

"Risk my life? Aren't you being a little dramatic?" she pushed herself off of his chest, "Well, I'm not going to leave here until we take care of this situation." She glanced around, "We could bury him."

"Well, you don't have much say in the matter," he scooped her up into his arms but stopped when she yelped in pain. He carefully put her back down. "Sorry."

She frowned up at him, "Sorry?"

Han ignored her, "By the time it takes us to bury this guy it'll be nightfall. There are too many unknowns to be wanderin' out there in these woods."

"Then we better hurry," Leia used the nearest tree trunk to guide herself to her feet.

"We should check in with the base," Han glanced up at the low-hanging sun.

"We shouldn't risk it," she shook her head.

Han pulled out his comlink, "Delta Base this is Solo—"

Leia's fingers wrapped around his as she pushed the comlink from his mouth and depressed the activation button, "No."

He looked down at her pallid fingers that lay upon his tan ones. So small, but her touch was firm, commanding. He sighed, "Leia, you're wounded and we need to get you some real medical attention."

"I'll survive," she gazed into his eyes, willing him to believe her.

Those eyes….Han shook his head, "How are we gonna bury this guy? It's not like there are shovels lying around, and you're in no shape to be diggin'. You'll rip your stitches out."

She opened her mouth, but Han place his other hand on top of hers, "Either we contact the base and have them send help, or I pick you up and carry you back to that base and leave that guy where he is."

Her brow lowered but the tone of his voice and the authoritative look in his hazel eyes... "Fine," she slipped her hand from between his, gingerly lowered herself to the ground, and leaned against the nearest tree trunk.

Han cringed. He didn't like to see her in pain.

"I'm fine," she asserted as if she read his mind.

Han shook his head and turned his attention back to the comlink, "Delta Base, this is Solo. Come in Delta Base." He hailed the base a few more times before getting a static-y answer.

"Solo, this is Delta Base, please report. Over."

"We ran into some trouble. The princess is wounded."

Leia gritted her teeth together, "You didn't have to mention that."

"Requesting a rescue party and medical team. Over."

"What's your location? We don't detect you within the sensors. Over."

"That's cos her Holiness-" he looked at the scowling princess. "We're about a half kilometer away from the northwest sensor. There was something we had to check out. Over."

"Activate your homing beacon and we'll send a party out to retrieve you. Over."

"No," Leia wanted nothing more than to take the comlink from Han, but she was in too much pain to get up. "No homing beacon. That can be picked up by someone close by."

Han opened his mouth to counter her argument, but thought better. She was right; the last thing they needed was to advertise their position. He sighed and activated the comlink, "Negative. There could be eyes and ears out there. Our speeder bike is located near the sensor. Just walk straight out and you'll stumble upon us. And bring some shovels. Over."

"Roger, Solo. Sending a rescue party and a medical team for the princess. Over and out."

"Thanks. Over and out," he returned his comlink to his belt and placed his hands on his hips. "Well, Your Worship? Looks like we're stuck here. You happy?"

"Being stuck out here with you? Hardly!" she huffed.

"I'd rather be stuck out here with a gundark than to be stuck here with you," he shot back.

"There's no surprise there," she quipped. "You have quite a bit in common with a gundark."

"Nice," he mumbled then looked up at the sun, "The sun's almost set. It's gonna get cold out here. I'll set up the emergency shelter."

Leia started to stand up, "I'll help."

"No you won't," he commanded. "The last thing we need is for you to rip out your stitches."

She lifted her shirt and glared at the bandage wrapped around her waist. She was about to argue her case until Han eyed her meaningfully. He turned his attention to the construction of the emergency shelter. Stuck out in the woods with Princess Leia Organa. Yep, what a great day this turned out to be! They definitely weren't going to be found before nightfall.

Han stole a quick side glance at her and noticed she was watching him. She wasn't barking orders or criticizing his work on the shelter. No, she was just watching him work. Her face was paler than usual, and he silently questioned his decision to listen to her. He should have just carried her back to the speeder bike. Like she'd let him carry her anywhere. She was too stubborn for her own good.

Han clicked the final poles into place and unzipped the opening of the shelter. He threw their gear into it and then entered. He did some arranging before re-emerging.

"You're humble abode awaits, Your Holy Royalness," he made a sweeping gesture with his hands.

The princess smiled at his antics, held a hand to her wound, and started to stand. He rushed to her side and aided her in walk to the shelter. He gallantly guided her inside it.

"Why don't you lie down," He suggested as he lowered her to the floor without waiting for an answer. He took off his jacket, rolled it into a ball, and placed it under her head.

"Do I really look that bad?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" a question mark twisted upon his face.

"You're being so nice to me."

"What?" Han's countenance darkened. "Are you saying I'm not nice to you?"

"Yes." She lifted herself up to her elbows.

"It's not like you're that nice to me."

"That's because you're always starting fights with me. You're so disagreeable with me."

"I'm disagreeable with _you_?" he pointed at himself. "From the moment you see me your whole demeanor changes."

"That's not true!"

"It isn't? You should look at yourself in the mirror the next time we cross paths at the base."

"If that's true, then it's because I'm expecting you to say something stupid and insensitive."

"Hey—"

"Look," the princess closed her eyes and lay back down, "I don't feel like fighting."

Han pressed his lips together and sighed, "You hungry? We got some out dated rations."

"No thanks."

"How about some water?" he grabbed her canteen and held it up to her lips. "Here drink something."

She complied, taking a few generous sips. Han pulled out his own canteen and had a drink for himself. He searched his pack and pulled out two ration bars.

"You sure you're not hungry? We haven't eaten since breakfast."

"I'm sure," she wrinkled her nose at he took a big bite out of the ration bar.

He feigned delight as he chewed on the dry bar, inciting Leia to laugh. He took another exaggerated bite.

"Mmm-mmm. Nothin' better than an old ration bar," he joked, hoping to make her laugh again.

To Han's delight she did.

"I didn't think you knew how to laugh," he observed but regretted it the moment it came out of his mouth. He braced himself for another fight.

Leia shrugged and gazed into his eyes, "Not a lot to laugh about these days."

Han sobered, "Yeah." He changed the subject, "So, tell me about ridin' speeder bikes at age five. How did your feet reach the pedals?"

She smiled at the memory, "I used to tie books to the pedals."

Han's eyes widened, "Real books?"

"Yeah," her large brown eyes went far away, "I got into a lot of trouble when my father found out."

"I bet," Han shook his head.

"I think my father was angrier about me stealing the speeder bike than the books."

"I'm sure he was."

"It was the best way to escape my body guards," she confessed. "That was until my father hired guards that could ride." She mischievously smiled, "But I was still a better rider than they were on any given day when I got older."

Han grinned and decided he rather enjoyed her like this, relaxed and smiling, than her usual sour self.

Leia rolled onto her good side, "Your turn."

"What?"

"I shared something about my childhood with you," she raised an eyebrow. "Now it's your turn to share."

"There's nothin' to share."

"Come on. It's only fair."

"You above anyone else should know nothin' in this life is fair."

The princess settled back onto her back, and the joviality in her face faded, "Never mind then."

Han caught his lower lip between his teeth and gazed at her.

"Did I ever tell you about how I learned Shyriiwook?" he quietly offered.

"You've never told me anything about yourself," she rolled to her side again.

"Not much to tell," he looked away. What would she think if she knew of his criminal past? Why did he suddenly care?

"I'm not so sure about that," she pressed her lips together and remained quiet for a moment. Then, "You didn't learn Shyriiwook from Chewie?"

Han stared into those inquisitive brown eyes and sighed, "Nah. It was from a Wookie named Dewlanna.

"Dewlanna?"

"Yeah, she was the cook on the ship, _Trader's Luck_."

"Sounds like the name of a smuggling ship."

"You could say it was a business man's ship."

"Should I ask about the nature of his business?"

"No," he smiled. "Anyway, the captain took me in and gave me work. Dewlanna took a shine to me, was like a mother to me."

"Where were your parents?"

"Dead."

"Sorry," she whispered.

"Just part of life," he glanced away. "Dewlanna was some cook and she took care of me when I was sick."

"How old were you then?"

"I dunno. Young," Han leaned back on his hands. "Before my teens."

The princess watched him as she absorbed this new information. "I bet you had a lot of adventures as a kid."

He returned his attention to her and smiled, "You could say that."

"Hhmmm, I used to dream of getting off-planet and seeing the galaxy, having some adventures on ships with names like _Trader's Luck_ when I was a kid."

"It's overrated," he shrugged. "Besides, you're a princess. I bet you got everything you ever wanted."

"That's farthest from the truth," she frowned. "There wasn't much time for fun with all the instructions I had. I didn't know it at the time, but my father was preparing me for my life today. Who would've thought all that target practice and tactical lessons would have come in handy for a princess?"

Han nodded. "You cold?"

"A little."

Han rummaged through the first aid kit and pulled out a silver package. He ripped open the plastic and shook the emergency blanket open before he laid it upon Leia. He tucked the edges around her body.

"That should keep you warm."

"What about you?" Leia started to sit up. "I have your jacket."

"I'm okay."

"Maybe we should make a fire," she suggested.

"Don't wanna attract any unwanted attention," he reminded her.

"The temperature will continue to drop," she turned to grab his balled-up jacket and winced in pain. "At least take your jacket back."

"No, I'm fine," Han crumpled his jacket again and placed it back where she took it from. "Lie down. The last thing we need is for you to rip out your stitches." He gently pushed her down to the ground.

"Is there another blanket?"

"No, but I don't need it."

Leia ran her bottom lip between her teeth and inhaled, "This blanket is big enough for two." She couldn't believe what she was saying, and from the look on Han's face, he couldn't believe it either. She lifted up part of the blanket.

"You're inviting me under the blanket? With you."

She rolled her eyes, "And nothing else."

He flashed a lop-sided grin, "I don't think it's an offer a can refuse."

"Just get over here, flyboy, before I change my mind and let you freeze to death."

Han started to crawl under the blanket then froze.

"Did you hear that?" Leia whispered.

"I heard something," Han's eyes searched the wall of the emergency shelter as if he could see right through them.

"It's not the rescue party?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"I better check it out," he took out his blaster and made his way to the door.

Leia sat up, "I'm coming too."

"No you're not."

"Are you going to try and stop me?" she raised her right eyebrow, challenging him.

Han grunted, "We don't have time to argue –"

Another rustling of the brush outside caught their attention.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he muttered as he unzipped the shelter door.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Han carefully unzipped the shelter door and crawled out. With his blaster ready, he surveyed the area in front of him. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. He slowly stood and twisted around. Before Leia had a chance to exit the shelter, Han held up his hand.

"What is it?" she whispered.

He crouched down, "Rulians."

"Rulians?" Leia shuddered. She had only heard of those vile creatures in bedtime stories meant to frighten little children into behaving. They were stout-winged monsters that feasted on the plump bodies of naughty children who disobeyed their parents.

Han reached out his hand, "Don't make any sudden moves."

She took his hand in hers and climbed out of the shelter. "Where are they?"

"Well," Han pulled her close to him, "we don't have to worry about buryin' that guy."

Leia grimaced as her eyes fell upon three Rulians who were hovering over the fallen man. The wire-haired beasts gorged themselves on his innards and crunched on his bones.

"Okay," he ushered her in front of him, keeping his body twisted toward the Rulians, "we're going to walk outa here nice and calm."

Han pushed Leia forward all the while pointing his blaster at the feeding Rulians.

"Why don't you just shoot them?" she whispered.

"There could be more around," he hissed. "Keep movin', will ya'?"

"I am."

Solo continued pushing the princess along while glancing back over his shoulders at the Rulians. They didn't get far when Han tripped over a root and fell to the ground. His blaster toppled out of his hands and emitted a shot.

Leia turned around and knelt down next to him, "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," he rubbed his shin. "Keep moving, will ya'?"

A raspy screech bellowed into the night, and Han and Leia froze. Two of the Rulians flapped their wings and sped through the air. Leia grabbed Han's blaster and began firing with greater precision than Han would have given her credit for. She took down both Rulians before aiming at the one still eating the dead man. A few more swooping screeches blasted their ears, and suddenly the pair was swarmed by Rulians.

"Told ya' shooting them was a bad idea!" Han yelled as he grabbed a thick branch.

"They were going to attack us!" Leia continued firing the blaster.

"Two would be easier to deal with than this!" he grunted as he swung the branch at the incoming Rulians.

Han and Leia blasted and batted the Rulians out of the sky, but they kept coming. While Leia's expertly aimed shots killed or gravely wounded her targets, Han wasn't able to inflict as much damage. He knocked Rulians to the ground but couldn't incapacitate all of them, and many kept getting back up to continue their attack. After he knocked them out of the sky, he rushed to bash in their heads before they could get their claw-like fangs into his or Leia's skin. As the battle wore on, he realized the blaster shots had ceased. He looked over his shoulder at Leia as he continued to swing the branch.

"Battery's dead," she explained and searched around for another weapon. She found a large rock. She began smashing the heads of the Rulians Han had downed.

When the Rulians were left writhing on the ground, the princess took a moment to catch her breath.

Han wasted no time, "Come on."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the trees, and she struggled to keep up. They ran and ran without looking back until Leia could go no further. She tugged on his hand before dropping to the ground.

"I…can't…" she panted.

Han crouched down next to her and looked to where they had come from. "I think we're outa danger." Then he looked down at her and noticed the deep red stain on her shirt. He hoped it was Rulian blood….

Leia lifted her shirt, "Damn."

"You must've ripped your stitches," he cringed. "I'm sorry—"

"For what?" she breathed. "For saving me from the Rulians?"

"I should've been more careful."

Leia weakly laughed, and Han's face darkened. "What's so funny?"

"I must really be in bad shape," she pressed her hand to her side.

"And that's funny?"

She shook her head, "Not at all."

Han decided to dismiss her levity, "Lemme see it."

Leia pulled her hand away and stared at the blood on her fingers.

"We gotta stop the bleeding," he began to unwrap the compression bandage.

"We left the first aid kit behind," she exhaled.

"We'll have to improvise," he examined her wound and bit his lip.

His eyes slipped up to her face. She was pale and perspiring, and her eyes were closed. He was glad of that because he was certain he couldn't hide his concern for her. He didn't want to worry her, though he couldn't have been more worried. He pressed his hands against her wound to stem the bleeding. He needed to pack the wound, but with what?

"Take off your shirt."

Leia's large brown eyes popped open, "What?"

"We need to stop the bleeding," he explained. "You have a tank top underneath."

"Yeah, an _under_shirt."

"Just do it."

She raised an eyebrow, "This better not be one of your ploys to get me naked."

"I'll try not to notice the way you look," he shrugged. "Okay?"

"I'm sure," she quipped then began to peel her shirt over her head.

Han helped her out of it the rest of the way. He wadded the shirt up and pressed it against her side, holding it there. When he felt enough pressure was applied to slow the blood flow, he rewrapped her waist with the compression bandage, pulling it tight against her skin. He arranged her undershirt over the bandage.

"Okay," he sighed, lifting her chin with his forefinger and thumb. "Can we use the homing beacon now?"

"What homing beacon?" she smiled wryly at him. "It's back in the shelter."

Han pressed his lips together, "Right." He dropped his hand.

Leia laid her bloodied hand on his thigh, "I think we should keep moving."

He looked down at her small hand. Her hand was on his thigh and she was wearing an undershirt. If it wasn't for the blood, he would've found himself helplessly distracted. "We should wait until the rescue party comes."

"Who knows who or what else is out there?" she reasoned.

"You're in no condition to move around."

"There's no way I'm going to sit here and—" she started to stand but sat back down.

Han shook his head, "Fine."

He slipped his arms under her arms and knees.

"What do you think you're doing?" Leia protested.

Han carefully lifted her off the ground, "Getting us outa here."

"If you think you're going to carry me back—"

"Sweetheart, this is an argument you're gonna lose," he held her to his chest, "so just enjoy the ride."


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Princess Leia Organa, exhausted and in pain, rested her chin on Han Solo's shoulder as he carried her through the woods. She found herself suddenly wordless and a touch shy. She had never been this close to Han Solo before and her senses were overwhelmed. He was warm and his muscles solid, making her feel contained. While she hated being weak, hated that he had to carry her, she felt secure in his arms, something she hadn't felt since the destruction of Alderaan. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she inhaled his smell: grease, sweat, and something she couldn't quite put her finger on. His scent comforted her, assured her. She had no doubts that he'd get them out of this situation safe and sound.

Han came to a stop, "It's getting too dark to see."

It was then Leia noticed that the shadowy dusk had faded into dark.

"I think we should camp out here, wait for that rescue team."

"How far away do you think we're from the speeder bike?" she twisted her head, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

"Hard to tell," Han sighed. "I'm sure we're headed in the right direction, though." He gently lowered her feet to the ground and helped her over to a tree trunk so she could lean against it. "I'll make a fire."

Leia wrapped her arms around herself suddenly feeling cold and vulnerable. Her skin rose in bumps and she briskly rubbed her hands over her arms. She watched Han in silence as he collected twigs and small branches for his fire. After arranging the kindling and building the small structure, Han pulled a match container off of his belt and dropped a lit match onto it. He leaned over and cupped his hands around the small flame then blew on it until flames began to dance.

"There," he smiled at Leia.

"Impressive," she smiled back.

"Yes, isn't it?"

"The only thing more impressive is the size of your ego," she shook her head as she carefully scooted toward the fire.

Han moved behind her and helped her. He then sat down, placing one leg on each side of her before gently pulling her to him. "You must be freezing."

"I've been warmer," she shivered.

He vigorously rubbed her bare skin before wrapping his arms around her. She relaxed against him as she soaked up his heat. Han held his breath as they crossed into uncharted territory. He never thought the stuck up ice princess would ever let him touch her, ever let him hold her under any circumstances. But here she was in his arms, allowing him to warm her up, comfort her. Perhaps she had lost so much blood that she wasn't thinking about their proximity? Perhaps she was just cold and hurting? She curled her fingers around his arms and dropped her head against his chest. No, she was aware of him and she wasn't pulling away.

"Well, this day certainly turned out different than I thought I would," Han cleared his throat.

"Yes, it certainly did," she concurred. "Of course, it doesn't surprise me. Things always turn out differently than expected when you're involved."

"Me?" Han's mouth dropped open. "I think you're mistaken, Sweetheart. You're the one who's to blame."

"If you could just follow the simplest orders—"

"I believe _I_ followed _you_ orders all the way out here."

Leia bit her lip and stayed quiet for a moment. Then, "Yes, I suppose you're right," she quietly conceded.

Han chuckled, "I never thought I'd hear you admit that."

"Well," she exhaled, "this time it's definitely my fault."

He placed a hand on her forehead. "You feeling okay?" he joked, but then he became concerned about her cool skin. He hugged her tighter to him.

The princess closed her eyes as a wave of emotion tumbled over her. Here she was, in Han Solo's arms, having a civil conversation. No anger, no irritation, none of the usual feelings he invoked in her. It was something else she was feeling, something unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. But then, it's hard to be irked when he was doing all he could to keep her warm. All he could…he _cared_ about her. Leia rolled her lips between her teeth. Underneath all his hostility, he really cared about her. She smiled to herself and snuggled deeper into his embrace.

And how did she feel about him? Leia large brown eyes traveled down to his arms then to the fire. She watched the brilliant flames lick at the ever darkening woods. She hadn't really thought about it before. They were constantly at each other's throats; she was always too angry, always had to be on her guard around him. Just his name inspired irascibility and she could never get passed that.

But her guard was down now, and he wasn't provoking her or teasing her. He was being….nice. Han Solo could be a nice man. She did care about him maybe more than she would like to admit. Underneath all his selfishness was a selfless heart. He may have rescued her from the Death Star for reward money, but how many times had he saved her life and Luke's life when no reward was involved? He certainly wasn't being rewarded now. Leia closed her eyes as she fully realized what kind of man Han Solo really was.

"Chewie must be pitchin' a fit that I'm not back yet," Han mused.

"If Luke hadn't asked you to take his place on this mission, what would you have done today?" she asked, her eyes remaining closed.

"Worked on the Falcon. She got pretty banged up on the last mission."

"Did General Reikken give you the parts you requested?"

"Yeah, thanks for takin' care of that for me."

"No problem."

They were quiet as they watched the fire.

"You in pain?" Han asked.

"It's manageable."

"Wish I grabbed the first aid kit."

"I wish I grabbed your jacket."

"Yeah," Han looked down on her head. "That would've been helpful."

"Han?" Leia tipped her head back, her eyes attaching to his.

Han gazed into those large brown eyes that were warm and open and his heart started to beat a little faster.

"Yeah?" he whispered.

Leia opened her mouth but a crunching sound silenced her.

Han sat up straighter and reached for his dead blaster. "What now?"


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

The rustling and crunching of twigs and dead leaves closed in on Han Solo and Princess Leia. Han held his blaster ready, though it was dead and would be of no help.

"The fire!" Leia hissed. She stretched forward to extinguish the fire with dirt but gasped in pain.

Han's attention flew to the slumped princess. He dropped his blaster and grabbed her around her chest, sitting her back up, "You okay?"

She sucked in a breath, "I'll be ready for whatever comes."

Han pressed his lips together, "We're pretty defensive, Leia."

Leia lifted her head. She whispered as the rustling got louder, "Well, no one has to know that." She picked up the blaster and handed it back to him.

"Just hope I won't have to shoot it."

Solo got up and kicked some dirt on the small fire. He then positioned himself between the approaching threat and the princess.

"Han! Leia!"

Han exhaled as Luke emerged from the woods. He holstered the useless blaster, "Kid! What took ya' so long?"

"It's pretty dark out here," the young man frowned. "Leia! You must be freezing." Luke took off his jacket and rushed over to Leia. He placed it around her shoulders and helped her into it.

Han watched Luke move to embrace the princess, "Careful, she's wounded."

"I'm okay," Leia smiled at him, but Luke took care as he hugged her.

"Where's the rest of the rescue party?" Han interrupted.

Luke stood up, "Oh yeah." He unhooked his comlink from his belt and tapped out a code. "They'll be here soon. We split up cos you weren't where we expected."

"We had a run in with some Rulians," Leia explained.

"After an encounter with a guy who crash landed somewhere northeast of here," Han placed his hands on his hips.

"What happened?" Luke crouched down next to the princess again. "How'd you get wounded?"

"The man had a knife," Leia explained as she pulled his jacket closed. "It's not so bad."

Han frowned at the princess. That knife was meant for him. How she knew the man had it in his hand….Han hadn't seen it coming. Lucky for him she did. Unlucky for her. He looked away.

"Maybe you should contact the rescue party again. She needs medical attention."

"You dressed it well, Han. I think I'll survive until they get here."

"Han's right." Luke took out his comlink.

Just as he began tapping out the code, Wedge emerged into the small clearing with a couple of medics.

"Hey, Han," Wedge clapped Solo on the back. "Glad to see you in one piece." He turned his attention to Leia, "Hello, Princess. Where are you wounded?"

"I was scratched by a knife," she explained as she opened Luke's jacket and lifted the edge of her tank top.

"Oh, Leia," Luke breathed as he saw the bloodied bandage.

"It can wait until we get back to the base," Leia allowed the two medics to scrutinize Han's handiwork.

"You've lost a lot of blood," Han argued.

"It can wait," she repeated. "There are Rulians out here."

"Rulians?" Wedge shuddered. "Can she wait?"

"At least until we get back to the transport," the medic closed Luke's jacket around her. "Good work, Solo."

Han nodded but said nothing.

"Let's get moving," the princess ordered as she tried to get to her feet. Luke positioned her under her arm and offered her support.

Han walked over to her, "I got this." Before Luke could protest, Han lifted her into his arms and followed Wedge's lead to the transport.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX

Han Solo leaned against the doorway and watched the princess sleep. Color had returned to her cheeks and there was a touch of a smile on her pouty lips. She looked so different, so relaxed and so young lying there. At least she was getting the rest she needed.

He rubbed the scar on his chin and frowned. Her wound was worse than she let on, but the medics were quick and skilled, cutting off the source of the bleeding. Both he and Leia were dehydrated, but nothing more serious. Han allowed them to give him IV fluids, but he wasn't going to put up with any more nursing. All he wanted to do was get back to the _Falcon._

So what was he doing standing here in the doorway of the princess' room? He shoved his hands in his pockets. There was no reason to be worried about her anymore. She'd recover fully. Something else kept him where he was. He crossed one leg over the other. Maybe she wasn't as irritating as he had originally thought. In between their bickering during their latest adventure, they got along quite well. He even told her something about his past, something he hadn't shared with anyone other than Chewbacca. How easily she got that out of him. And she certainly could ride a speeder bike and could definitely hold her own when it counted. He would be lying there instead of her, or worse, if it wasn't for her gutsy move.

Han pushed himself off of the doorway. There was definitely more to Princess Leia Organa than he had originally given her credit for. He smiled to himself as he headed back to the _Falcon_. The day didn't turn out how he expected, but in the end, it wasn't so bad.


End file.
